Jo Chen has not done a cover for each issue of Season 8. Jon Foster did the covers for "Wolves At The Gate" while Georges Jeanty did the variants. There was a bit of fan alarm and Joss commented to clarify things.

The act of creation is an ever evolving one, not to mention an exciting one. Plus, painting digitally saves my little ones from tipping over easels, sipping turpentine and eating clay shavings. Creating my color palettes, making the custom brushes, performing the actual brushstrokes with my graphic sylus, applying the highlights, figuring out how to create SFX, etc. all take me just as long to do digitally as they do with natural media. In any case, I'm glad that most of you enjoy the work.

I think everyone enjoys your work Jo, they were just unaware of how modern artists work.

I just got my first digital stylus for photo editing (I needed the variable pressure that a mouse can't provide), and I have to say drawing on a computer is no more or less difficult than drawing on natural media. If anything it can be more difficult at times, but it is a lot less messy.

I would think drawing on a computer would be harder because it'd be more slippery. Though of course I'm assuming it's the same as when you have to sign on a computer screen. The technology is probably completely different.. iz an idiot.

Hi Jo, I love your work! Having played a little with digital painting, I suspected you were using Corel Painter for at least part of your work. I think I'm going to try experimenting with them wercolour brushes now. Thank you for sharing your process with us!

Jo, I echo the wish for a book of covers (coffeetable size!) I love your work, and I'm even more impressed finding out how it's done - I've worked with pencil, oils and acrylics since the mid-60s, but my attempts at computerized artwork? Well, let's just say that finger-painting chimps have nothing to fear from me...

Fascinating. I am a graphic designer/illustrator and I have been looking in awe at her covers- they are so fluid, and have such energy with such a light touch. I have wondered about Jo's process for a while and I loved reading about it. Sometimes I really wish the whole comic was done by her!

Oh, and I have to say this: the computer is just as much a tool for art as a paintbrush ever was. You have to have a tremendous amount of skill to create that caliber of work.

I do use a combination of Photoshop and Corel Painter to create the finished painting. I keep both apps open simultaneously and toggle back and forth. I thought I mentioned Painter in my descriptions but I think the DH folks had to edit my prose down. So, end result is a composite of pencils, some times ink, occassionally real watercolors and gouche, Photoshop and Painter. I once even scanned a plate of fork-scraped chocolate icing from cake I was eating to add a layer of texture. It looked too cool to pass up the experiment.

Ah looking at Jo Chen's work has always made me inspired. Even ten years ago when I was just learning how to seriously draw and CG a friend linked me to her website. :) You've come a long way, Jo. Thank you for being a source of inspiration.